Lubricating apparatus



Oct. 19,1943. a w. DAVIS LUBRICA'I'ING APPARATUS Filed NOV- 13, .1939, Sheets-She et 1 Oct. 19, 1943. a W. DAVIS LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 13, 1939 gamete-sheet? gi ya packing 32 is compressed to a greater extent during the actual lubricating operation than when the coupler is disjoinedfrom ,a fitting.

A shoulder 68 at the top of the central opening 42 in the packing nut 36 co-operates with a complementary shoulder I on the movable piston 34 to limit outward movement of the piston.

Normally, when the coupler is disjoinedfr'om the fitting, the piston 34 will be urged outwardly against the shoulder 68 by a coil spring I2 compressed betwen the lower endoi the piston and the bottom of the recess 26. To keep this spring end of face II4 of the head 88 is a frustum of a I2 concentric with respect to the piston and the I packing spring 64, the lower end of the'spring I2 fits around a boss I4 at the bottom of the recess 26, while the upper end fits within a counterbored spring seat 16 located in the lower end of the piston 34. v

n will be seen that during a lubricating eration, the hydraulic pressure of the lubricant" in the recess 26 will aid the spring I2 inurging the piston 34 outwardly;

'I'he outward end, or' nose I8 of the piston 34 is'hemispherical and projects somewhat beyond the'upper surface of the packing nut 36. This nose I8 serves to seal thercoupler to the fitting I8 during a lubricating operation. The nos'eof the piston 34 is provided with a grease orifice 80 leading to a counterbored hole 82 extending axially through the piston to the recess 26. During a lubricating operation, the lubricant therefore fiowsrfromv the recess .26 to the fitting by way of the hole 82 and orifice 80.

The interior surface configuration of the portion of the cap 52 above the packing nut 36 is that of a spherical segment and serves asasocket 84 for forming a swivel connection'with a shoulder 86 ofahe'ad 88 ofthe fitting I8.

i To permit the head 88 to extend inside the coupler, the cap 52 is provided. with a -frustoconical hole 82-extending through the, outward end of the cap andaxially aligned with the piston84. This hole 821s of sucha size that when the coupler isjoined to the fitting, as :shown in Fig. 3, for instance, the coupler may be tilted'in any direction to a considerable extent before a portion of the side wallof the hole 82 is brought against a neck portion 84, of the fitting. r In the embodiment shown, asm'ay be seen from Fig. 3,

this angular displacement of theycoupler relative 1 to the fitting may be as much jars-approximately fourteen degrees in any direction.

In order to enable thecoupler to be joined to II4 may be considered as a plane surface that,

cone, the altitude of which is quite small in comparison to its base diameter. That, is, this face hasjbeen modified sufiiciently so that as the coug'pler' isswiveledabout the fitting, no portion of this end face 'will come into contact with the upper face of thepacking nut 36, while the por-' tion of the face surrounding the orifice I04 will at all times be spaced only a slight distance from this packing nut 44.

The shoulder 86 of the fitting is complementary to .the spherical surface 84' of the cap 52, and since this shoulder is symmetrical with the orifice I04, the center 'ofthis orifice-will always remain in one position relative to thegcoupler so long as the shoulder'86 remains against the spherical 'surface84.

I With the coupler slipped over the fitting head, as shown in Fig'.'3; thespherical nose" of the piston 34 is urged outwardly and centers itself within the orifice ,I04'andr'efiectively seals the joint between these two parts. In forder that this seal be eilective within the complete range of possible angular relationships of the coupler relative to the fitting, the center of'curvature :of the spherical surface 84 should coincide with .the fitting,-a slot 86 extends through thedomed portion of the cap and Joins theaxial hole 82. :As may be seen in Fig. 3, this, slot has aOOnfiguration complementary to the profile of the head and neck of the fitting, and thus permits a-longi- ,gtudinalmovement ofthe coupler in a; direction under pressureto be forced through. thecoupler L The fitting I8, which co-operates with the above-mentioned coupler, comprises asleeve-having a threaded portion 88 at one endto be se cured in a grease hole and a headj88 at theopposite. end forengagement bythe-coupler; Be-

tween the ends, a portion ofthe fittinggprefer- "ably has a hexagonal section, I00 for engagement by- .a .wrench for inserting or removing the-fitinthe recess 26, .to .drop and'the pulled free of the fitting;-

thecenter'of curvatureof the spherical nose I8 when this nose is centered within the orifice I04. It shouldbenoted also that the orifice in the nose of the piston should be considerably smaller than theo'rifi'ce I04 in the fitting, as otherwise an efiective seal would not be maintained exceptingv throughout, a comparatively narrow range of angularjrelationships between the coupler and In operation, the fittings will be threaded into grease holes leading to portions of the automobile orv other machineto be lubricated. The" ,cap

of the coupler isthen slipped over. one of the fittings until the nose 18 of thepist'on snaps into theorifice, I04. In this'positionthe coupler may be tilted in, any direction; or, itmay be turned around the fitting throughout a complete circle. The valve I6 is then opened to allow lubricant and fitting into the part .tobe lubricated. gThe hydraulic pressure produced by the lubricant the chamber formed by the recess 26 forces .the

packing;32 more tightly around-the piston 34, and

presses the nose I8 of ;the piston. more tightly into the orifice-I 04. tightgrease seal is thereby maintained, throughout the lubricating operation.

:Atthe end of the a-lubricating. operation, the

valve I6 is closed, thereby allowing the: pressure coupler to be Having described my invention; illustrated a:preferred embodiment thereof, .whatI claim as :new and useful and desire tosecure' byiLetters Patentof'the United-States 1'. A lubricating .1 device comprising eased lubricant receiving. fitting having an orifice at its outward, endnaispherical .shouldei'1.concentric :with said orifice, a' .coupler'. having a- "spherical surface complementary to said spherical shoulder, and a movable pistonin said coupler having a spherical nose to seat in said orifice, said piston having a grease hole through said nose, said nose,

when seated in said orifice, having a center of curvature substantially common with said spherical surface.

2. For use with a headed fitting having a lubricant receiving orifice and a spherical shoulder concentric with the orifice; a coupler having a spherical socket complementary to said spherical shoulder, a piston having a, spherical nose at one end and adapted to move longitudinally in said coupler to seat said nose in said orifice, and the center of curvature of said socket being substantially common with the center of curvature of said nose when said nose is seated in said orifice.

3. A lubricating device comprising a headed lubricant receiving fitting having an orifice at its outward end, a spherical shoulder concentric with said orifice, a coupler having a spherical surface complementary to said spherical shoulder, a movable piston in said coupler, a spherical nose on said piston to seat in said orifice, said piston having a grease hole through said nose, said nose, when seated in said orifice, having a center of curvature substantially common withsaid sphericaisurface, and the diameter of the grease hole being substantially less than the diameter of said orifice.

4. A lubricating device comprising a headed lubricant receiving fitting having an orifice at its outward end, a spherical shoulder concentric with said orifice and the center of curvature of said spherical shoulder being located beyond the outward end of said fitting, a coupler having a spherical socket complementary to said spherical shoulder, a movable piston in said coupler, and a spherical nose on said piston to seat in said orfice, said piston having a grease hole through said nose, said nose, when seated in said orifice, having a center of curvature substantially common with said spherical socket.

5. A lubricating device comprising a headed lubricant reeciving fitting having an orifice at its outward end, a spherical shoulder concentric with said orifice and the center of curvature of said spherical shoulder being located beyond the outward end of said fitting, a coupler having a spherical socket complementary to said spherical shoulder, a movable piston in said coupler, a spherical nose on said piston to seat in said orifice, said piston having a grease hole through said nose, said nose, when seated in said orifice,

having a center of curvature common with said spherical shoulder, and the diameter of the grease hole being substantially less than the diameter of said orifice.

6. For use with a headed fitting having a lubricant receiving orifice and a spherical shoulter of curvature of said socket being substantially common with the center of curvature of said nose when said nose is seated in said orifice and said common center of curvature being within the to seat said 'nose in said orifice, the center of V curvature of said socket being substantially comder concentric with the orifice; a coupler comprising a body portion having a spherical socket therein complementary to said spherical shoulmom with the center of curvature of said nose when said nose is seated in said orifice, and hydraulic means actuated during a lubricating operation to force said nose tightly into said orifice.

8. For use with a headed fitting having a lubricant receiving orifice and a spherical shoulder concentric with the orifice; a coupler comprising a body portion having a spherical socket therein complementary to said spherical shoulder, a piston having a spherical nose at one end and adapted to move longitudinally insaid body portion to seat said nose in said orifice, the center of curvature of said socket being substantially common with the center of curvature of said nose when said nose is seated in said orifice, said common center of curvature being within the coupler body portion, and hydraulic means actuated during a lubricating operation to force said nose tightly into said orifice.

9. For use with a headed fitting having a lubricant receiving orifice and a spherical shoulder concentric with the orifice; a coupler comprising a body portion having a. spherical socket therein complementary to said spherical shoulder, a piston having a spherical nose at oneend and adapted to move longitudinally in said body portion to seat said nose in said orifice, the center of curvature of said socket being substantially common with the center of curvature of said nose when said nose is seated in said orifice, said coupler having a slot opening into the side of the socket,

and said slot having a form substantially comshoulder, a piston having a spherical nose at one end and adapted to move longitudinally in said coupler to seat said nose in said orifice, and the center of curvature of said socket being substantially common with the center of curvature of said nose when said nose is seated in said orifice, said coupler having a slot opening into the side of the socket, said slot having a form substantially complementary to the profile of the outer portion of the headed fitting, and hydraulic means actuated during a lubricating operation to force said nose tightly into said orifice.

ERNEST W. DAVIS. 

